October 18, 2012 2:03am EDTOctober 17, 2012 1:09pm EDTAndy Reid's hot seat is scorching, but the worst thing the embattled coach could do is trust his 3-3 Eagles to a rookie mystery quarterback. For better or for worse, SN's Clifton Brown says Michael Vick must stay the starter.

The Eagles (3-3) are in crisis mode, losing three of their last four, leading to Monday’s firing of defensive coordinator Juan Castillo. Now Reid, the Eagles’ embattled head coach, must spend part of his bye week deciding whether he should stick with Vick, or turn to rookie quarterback Nick Foles.

"As I sit here today, he’s the starting quarterback," Reid said of Vick on Tuesday.

That’s not a ringing endorsement of Vick, nor does he deserve one. He has been a turnover machine this season, throwing two more interceptions in Sunday’s loss to the Lions.

However, putting Foles behind the Eagles’ porous offensive line would be hazardous to his health. Vick has been sacked 17 times, more than any quarterback in the NFC East. If not for Vick’s mobility, that sack number would be higher and the Eagles would likely be worse than 3-3.

The Eagles should return from their bye more committed to their running game featuring LeSean McCoy, one of the NFL’s best backs. They should be more devoted to maximum protection for Vick with emphasis on getting the ball out of his hands quickly. The Eagles did that successfully beating the Giants in Week 4 when Vick was only sacked twice, and McCoy ran for 123 yards.

Vick has been to the playoffs four times in his nine previous seasons, including 2010 with the Eagles. That’s a far better track record than Foles, who has never started a regular-season game.

Making Castillo the defensive coordinator was a mistake by Reid. Castillo had never been a defensive coach in the NFL. Hardly shocking that it didn’t work out. Now Todd Bowles, the new coordinator, gets his chance to get more out of the Eagles’ defense.

Reid is trying to save his job, along with the Eagles’ season. However, he shouldn't make Vick the next Philly fall guy. In 2010, when Vick was a far more controversial figure than he is now, Reid had the guts to make Vick his starting quarterback. Now Reid’s gut decision should be to stick with Vick. He gives Reid the best chance to get out of this mess.

GARRETT SMART MAN, STRANGE DECISION-MAKER

Sticking with the theme of embattled NFC East coaches, we turn to Jason Garrett. If the Cowboys (2-3) are going to make the playoffs, he simply must do better in late-game situations. He’s a Princeton grad, a sharp guy. But during his tenure as Cowboys head coach, he has made some costly game-management mistakes.

The latest came Sunday against the Ravens. The Cowboys recovered an onside kick, trailing by two points, and moved into range for a potential game-winning field goal. But after reaching the Ravens’ 33-yard line, the Cowboys had a brain freeze. They let 16 seconds run off the clock before calling timeout with six seconds left. Why not spike the ball and run another play, or call timeout with 22 seconds left? Either option would have given the Cowboys a chance for a shorter field goal. Instead, Dan Bailey narrowly missed his 51-yard attempt and the Cowboys lost, 31-29.

That wasn’t Garrett’s first clock-management gaffe. Last season, Garrett made poor late-game moves that cost the Cowboys precious seconds in close losses against both the Cardinals and Giants in back-to-back weeks.

In the NFL, one loss can make a huge difference and the Cowboys are in no position to give games away. They visit the Panthers on Sunday, and if the game is close down the stretch, some Cowboys’ fans will likely be covering their eyes.

SANCHEZ NEEDS SIGNATURE GAME

For Mark Sanchez, this season isn't just about keeping the starting job over Tim Tebow. Sanchez wants to reaffirm that he is the right starting quarterback for them, not just in 2012, but long term.

The Jets visit their archrivals the Patriots on Sunday, which represents another signature opportunity for Sanchez. He is 3-4 all-time against the Patriots, including a playoff victory in 2010. Not bad, considering some quarterbacks have fared far worse against Bill Belichick teams.

Sanchez showed Sunday against the Colts that he is still good enough for the Jets to win with, especially when their running game clicks. But Sanchez and the Jets (3-3) need a win over a quality opponent, something they haven't done in awhile. Nobody expects Sanchez to match Tom Brady throw for throw. But Sanchez needs to avoid turnovers, play with confidence and throw the ball accurately when his receivers are open.

There has been so much talk about Tebow and what his future holds, but not enough about Sanchez, who was drafted four years ago to be the Jets’ franchise guy. Amazingly, the much-maligned Jets would pull ahead of the Patriots (3-3) in the wacky AFC East with a victory Sunday. Considering all the injuries the Jets have suffered, if Sanchez helps the Jets pull off an upset it would be his strongest statement yet that he should be their guy.

CARDS' O-NO LINE

For those who think Kevin Kolb is injury prone, any quarterback would be playing behind the Cardinals’ offensive line. Kolb has been sacked 27 times, more than any other quarterback. He's expected to miss several weeks with a rib injury, leaving the door open for John Skelton to take over as the starter.

Skelton should expect to hit the turf a few times during Sunday’s road game against the Vikings. Have to imagine Jared Allen and the Vikings’ pass rushers are licking their chops, anticipating this game. The Cardinals (4-2) have cooled off after starting 4-2, and their inability to protect the quarterback is the main reason.

QUICK HITS

— Robert Griffin III has the league’s third-best passer rating (100.5), better than Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Drew Brees, or Ben Roesthlisberger. With the Redskins at 3-3 heading into Sunday’s road game against the Giants, Griffin has handled all the preseason hype, and then some.

That hype will only get bigger if the Redskins beat the Giants on Sunday. The Giants’ wipeout of the 49ers on Sunday was the most impressive performance by any team this season. But a loss would drop the Giants (4-2) to 0-3 in the NFC East, which could be deadly if a playoff berth comes down to tiebreakers. If the Giants have a letdown Sunday, Griffin is good enough to make them pay.

— Talk all you want to about Norv Turner’s ability as a head coach. Philip Rivers’ turnovers have been killing the Chargers for more than a year. With six turnovers on Monday night, he was the match that ignited the Broncos’ comeback. If Rivers does not play better, the Chargers are going nowhere.

— Crazy as it seems, the Raiders (1-4) with an easy schedule upcoming, are not playing for next year yet. With the Jaguars, Chiefs, and Buccaneers up next, the Raiders should be thinking about running that table and getting to .500.

— The Steelers (3-3) are no longer road warriors. They are 0-3 on the road, and have lost four straight road games dating back to last year’s playoff loss in Denver. Hard to view the Steelers as a playoff team if they lose Sunday night in Cincinnati, against the Bengals (3-3), who have also lost two straight.

WEEK 7 PIVOTAL PLAYER

Matthew Stafford, Lions QB. Coming off a nice comeback win against the Eagles, Stafford leads the Lions into Soldier Field on Monday night. The Bears have been the most opportunistic defense in the NFL. The Lions (2-3) are still trying to climb out of the NFC North basement. They need some Monday night magic from Stafford.